Show efm E ar addae d 1 o 0 at kathleen Kathle eti nolta or r ax L L r j err t 64 K ONG SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I field meld twenty eight year old and beautiful to in the so 0 odal ocial seere secretary tAry of tho mr mrs lea iss belle carter at sit crownland Crown land lands bichard carters home and etness ae of 17 year old nina carter ward nvard twenty four tour yew old and 11 impressionable fancies in lovo with his hi mo mother thors attractive tary mrs cartere carters latest affair in with young unc anthony and the youth ie Is tama it very seriously M presiding over the IN IMP thi rummer summer afternoon unmet harriet Is t profoundly disturbed by the arrival of a visitor vl altor royal noyal blondin next day at ft tea patty party in the city makee makes himself agreeable to nina and leave leaves a deep impression on the unsophisticated eirl girl CHAPTER III harriet agitation over the appearance of or Il londin at crownland Crown land lands in t a explained x by the tact fact that he had been a disturbing element in her life ten en year years before and she he frare fear 1 a him the man Is an avowed adventurer ad ventura r on the gullibility of the idle rich he lie frankly announce to harriet hie his in of nina in ng ahli daughter of the wealthy richard carter to a highly desirable deel rable catch and arkes her to aid him bhe its in a it mente in hie his power and after pleading with him mill to abandon his ht agree agrees to follow a policy of neutrality CHAPTER IV visits hr her married sister unda Daven davenport poM with whom ehe she had had her lier home honic during her dunato acquaintance with and tell tells her of his reappearance the two women realizing realising the unscrupulous nature of the man view the future with ampre hen henlon slon CItA tITER V knowing the tender feeling she he haa has inspired in ward carter flarra to tempted to marry him for the position ton and wealth he can alv avo her tier though realizing ahe she does not ave love him blondin has ha ingratiated himself with madame carter richard Itte hards mother and antl ehe she to wholeheartedly whole heartedly in faor of me tits mar rince with nina ward urges harriet to marry him at once she silo proc roLs tina binate ti nate tex CHAPTER VI at hie his wife too flirtation Ilir tatIon with young anthony ro pope It richard ichard carter markedly how shows hia his resent resentment isabelle abelle la ardently returning her youthful lovera lovern attachment eloper with him on his hi yacht and pursuit li I 1 ti filesa lesa the tho ROWS of the affair exaggerated of course by is kept pt as much as a possible from being public property CHAPTER VH VIS waru vard carter again urges harriet to marry h him 1 m but she he can not brine he henele elf to an al alliance bitante with him merely for aka the ake asks of aalf advancement and refuses ref uaea the fact of cartere carters elopement lo become becomes public harriot harrieta capable managing manati nir hand ie in more mor ethan than ever needed at crownland Crown land and despite the complication complications the he forta eee eos aa an inevitable ahe she decide decides to remain CHAPTER vin blondin put puts pressure pres eure on harriet to forward hie his marriage with nina kina but ehe she mak maam u up p hermand heror to defy him richard vart carter e r U tlona her enriching enric eIng her knowledge 0 of lna Intent intention lons and the counsels cou neela active appo meitlon to the match the no family with harriet move to a eummer summer establishment oo 00 long island not lodic me itice it rosy french peasant tit willi with no further i she junde A splendid dle and the tire men followed her tier it nas 8 one of lifes ehe she thought As a la in a great of u snit suit vant waver she silo reached tile buby nod and hung laughing and printing to 0 o its rest leea leas bulk avard ward had preceded her by a full in Ill richard chard aus halt A minute behind her with glorious Klor toas boasting bon sting from he the men they all till rested before the homeward swim harriet hardly boke spoke her cup aas ai full to athla brim with a felicity born of the sun annier inree dourthe hour bour the heaving water waters and the joyous mood of father und and son when richard Ill chard her tier swimming ow 1 luched in the o 0 blue call ca and the tile bine blue eyes met wet hie his with the tile sit pit pluis ure of a diall 11 it tag wille slie ua as lia hastily littly drobin dro qIn in the hot a little inter that A sudden thought cuine ti to her tier and alu ched the tile lovely fuce ngali und brought her tier to lo n sudden rau A thought that made her breast rise suddenly and her ter ebes me i atad aguel on oil space for a lon long long ini nute clr palms paling we e dainia and thc ae put thrill tvr ler tier liot hot cheeks but that ehe she it ln tare alep i of her ao 10 tont pout that us non Il londin had been won halting for riet nt tit tle tile church door coming out eho she hud indicated without a atoni artl that lu lie might walk beside beade her tier tho tile sen sem ice hod had been III att and the few tew women who drifted away from froin it did not walk in their til direction so they found themselves nione alone harriet opened the cowers conversation atlon with a frank yet reluctant confession so horry u ito no I 1 bilut it Is only fair to you to eay buy that ive changed yoa will irmo to do what you think nt fit about it of course but I 1 cant pretend that im im playing your game any longer I 1 what camor blondin ming into graceful stop beside her asked pleasantly 1 I mean any possible idea iden aou oa might have of Niti ninal all harriot said brn bravely rely oh binal lie shrugged eh rugged ders lightly dont take TOO too seriously harriet lie said why when everue ever we are alone together torether should dyon you promptly begin to cross question me about that little persona perso nr 11 harriet arriet made a faint impatient ejaculation awny you know where I 1 stand film she wa kaw and ou know where I 1 do ho lie an nn shered after titter it 1 I con can see car cur tor ter 1 brin no tit for ine 1 I our work ork you know where I 1 stand she c could only repent they had reached rca clied the garden now und were at the foot fool of the tile steps 1 I dont quite vice how you can take alint tone lone hinted do you expect to marry the boy harriet did not answer except by a faint shrug her heart was sick with fright fri elit but there no reason why fly lie should be informed that title lie hod had definitely broken with ward hut he lind find never come so near n threat before of course I 1 nui entirely at your our mercy site she anid simply blondin natt watched lied hir for n full moment of sl at liu kulil look here ill make R bargain I 1 with you if you will consent not to nake UK all to well to ten ienus ill do the anine ill ato you ou lit colemn promise on it 4 kny ny what ou please about me now youre under no bond to protect me I 1 can hold my own oun hut but the past Is dead neither you ou nor I 1 mill epcar of it without agreeing to do to u how about it she hesitated tile binck black lashes dropp dropped glicr ter restless hands tul twisting sting ond and torturing her tier handkerchief it protected her tier elio site thought while ing her tier free to oppose hirt him MI agree slie she said finally nally ll promise oh I 1 promise I 1 sho silo bit lor her lip and frowned ns as if sho she would add sonic thing more but no vorda cance only her troubled eyes inot inet his fully and splendidly for a beconi then with a brief itu familiar nIllar nod sho silo turned and without another sord ord went into the house the morning dragged it was dry and hot with promise of a storm rater later madame carters breakfast had been sent neilt and sirs mrs tabor hail had jol nedier for when the old lady sen bent t 0 message to harriet the taie yo omen were lo 10 elaborate eln negligee end and a litter titter of sunday papers avas scattered about the beautiful bedroom upon harriets entrance mra tabor gracefully rose to go but ahe she paused for a pleasant good morning morn luK I 1 alone alth ith her dete old enemy enem em harriet assumed her tier usual air of respectful readi readiness nom madame carter lial lia tent for tier hart yea nes said tho the old lady looking lessly about her before gathering tier garments together and shil sinking drig into loto a chair 1 limited I you to ickow the people propose to delv dj alvo to I 1 at about two iray granddaughter has been hero here teasing granny for tho the pinn plan and I 1 lio lini a c they will dine hofere and be baal at about well utter after dinner din tier iluf but wont that tiro tire youl harriet asked 1 I oh olt I 1 shall not go ward will chaperon tits sister and nina amy mr blondin III 1 sou see unit them alie go kit got t home in ilina its quite all till right mis ii field I 1 nm nin entirely ahr taut cartei cit tei r ii arnol arriet interrupted her tier ns as she had expected to he bo interrupted surely it would be ile better we wo bont w ont it please miss ficia va IlOr lets chaks reddened slie she nali nas alint lit lit your devotion to myson my son and anti ills fils family 1 Is 14 4 extremely bald madame carter coldly nut but ae as mrs tabor aa aho Is of course courso a woman of the Norl orlu tl tind comes cowes of a very ter fine family she ns a JUng jungton don the charleston fallt os its mrs tabor wag was saying richard Is just tho the sort of 0 splendid hitun who ho Is perfectly heiple j in his own housel busel li harriet skilled Buil suil led with a touch of scorn wico mea mr carter la Is dissatisfied with me burter I 1 shall of course consider my self dismissed dut but until that time unit I 1 am atu very rind glad to dalike liis his own house comfortable fok him tap bard angry color of if old age had been rising in madame carters face during this anti now he ta quite enraged d you ard mcf hardly in a position to dictate to me in this ibis matter I 1 raw said shaking harriot harriet w nt ched her tier gra gracely ely 09 a she rose me from front her tier chair made it few feilest nei lest turns about the roum t opened and shut bureau dromey draw era dropped and plucked up bancher and nos papers in a dead silence the girl anicil WO va that till 11 II A sort 1 was tho th anmer nar rici riet sighed MOM as she entered her tier own suite to find nina nitta und anti amy my complacently ing theal seles for the afternoon afternoons run vani colm t harriot harriet orating said it u una unx an all ail flosa nina nitin aid xam in great mat opt rits 1 I know you wont feel hurt because the cur mont orn more than five and ite its too lotair a run rutt to bit alt oil all lape of nut but dearie dearle child harriet raid said in her tier manner 1 I dont ll 11 le lioe you lind better do youre all pretty duing iou tit in caso case un thIna occurred 11 A mutinous lino line marked ninne hn r a I 1 0 she would not yield to any nursery control before arbyl lohli allou I 1 shu would td not mt yield qa to any nursery control before amyl Any anyway uny im goings she muttered inching her tier high white bucke liln plu with sonic shortening of I 1 ia uh ith granny baas save a girle girls brother harriet paid no tit further attention to them and the two tio developed dm eloped a splendid case for themselves but abe went down donti to find ward and took him par unity into her confidence would he please bo be a darling and bee igee that there was uns no notise na she could not uell el cross crost ills tits grandmother and ninn without liln futher to back tier would he pron leo lise her that they bould be home by ten at latest somewhat SomeI int comforted by wards warda affectionate loyalty alty harriet went up to dross dress for the one luncheon and while noille ahe was uns dressing a now new iden came to her tier for a few minutes ehe she shook her tier head lead thinking with iab a face ot 0 distaste 1 I could do that she salu said aloud and she picked up tho the gingham dress that she had laid on the bed but there was a e pr prettier ettler dare dress in ba harriets wardrobe it gift from labelle isabelle that she hod had never worn it ilea a flo flowered ered silk of mull of a soft deep blue that was exactly the color of harriets eyes and at the throat and wrists it had frills of transparent lace itice the soft sort ruffles that made the skirt w ere cunningly edged with black ail and ther was a great open pink rose at the belt bell harriet put on this enchanting ga garment and as she did so she felt some borne litiff forgotten power rise strong with in her tier there was as one trump in hor her hand that she had never thought to pin in lit a ganje game with nina ninh carter but elte 1 was wan glad 0 o flud it now at half past two the cor car was bt at the side tilde door and nina and amy amye cattle downstairs with their wraps and saunders and word ward ran about laughing and confusing things blon din watched latched tho the performance lazily from it basket chair on tho the porch but when nhen nina called lilan a half laughing half daring wore ready air blon lint he lie sauntered down to the cur with his cst est expression hot with tho the regretful statement tivit he lie was nas not golba a arclous headache lint deN developed eloped since luncheon whatever the effect ou clit a amy ind and the young men to nina this was a stag goring gering blow she had triumphed all through luncheon had laughed and chattered bad had made ward telephone a dinner reservation for five fire and anti hao a hundred coquettish ulra now all this crumpled faded ana and harriet knew as she stood bo be eldo me tile car looking down at the folded light rug on her arm that she was utis ready to era no have hane a far nicer time thile without me aid said royal throwing awaa awa his cigarette and resting one orm arm on tho the car 1 I interfere because I 1 knew all give it up you just all have a perfectly wonder ful tul time and ill be down next week cok end and hear about it I 1 nina stood irresolute too choked kith th sudden disappointment to risk her voice olce atas it was nil nit baleful hateful madden ing horrible two boye boys and amy ali ah there would be no fun furl she loathed amy amr getting in lit so bo briskly and saying como on nina t f she hated ward ebo she wished that they bew wew ere all nit dead lead and liera elfi too the tile storm caine at good ground Cir annd they all had bad to scram birt ilij with curtains curtains ahill called them and the dinner was eaten in lit warm nt iii sticky halt half darkeners on a hotel porch with borr lUle making a horrible racket according to the tile same authority saunders and amy anty held bunds hands nil the ay flotie too and nina thought it lips disgusting ese everyone was nas too tired to lalk talk they bounced along silently and crossly and upon getting home miss liar out carao out of the shadows on the porch looking perfectly exquisite in her new go gown goan an interested and cheerful she said that she was as so sorry the dinner as poor had find luul such ct e nice dinner at home nn I 1 lint hw linit had a talk folli father tr and they were to go back to crar next weik nina did not see Il londin fur for the first time in her tier life phe ho cried to sleep harriet find triumphed but it was an on oil that bat for more thun than one reason did not ph plenum 1114 her tier richard finding OIL tile secretary pr prettier ettler titan ever ft in her blue gown nid und Aart ned by n re taxed day at the club and a mood 0 of friendliness lind specifically instruct pd her tier that silo ho wax ax to dine with the tile famil on oil nil and unit to darers ai us the tile other others did aud and to regard her j belt self an a member of the fa family nilly and this thia harriet ane no quick to realize ren llie placed tier in a it peculiar position made dini cult by kindly championing no than titan hie his ru moth others cre hoe boo otilit b I 1 tho the |